One of the leading online poker organizations in the world, GGPoker, seems inclined to retain Dan Bilzerian, a controversial actor-turned-poker player, and womanizer, as its brand ambassador. Bilzerian, who started his role as ambassador for the company with a Twitter controversy, has done well on the job the company believes.
Bilzerian Confirmed as GGPoker Ambassador Again
In a tweet published on GGPoker’s account, the company stated: “GGPoker would like to confirm that Dan Bilzerian remains a partner.” GGPoker detailed what a future collaboration between the two would look like, with Bilzerian remaining a prominent member of its community.
He would seek to engage with new players and boost the popularity of not just the brand, but also the game. Poker ambassadors have played a crucial role in bringing more people into poker, a game that generally enjoys less popularity than other casino experiences around the world.
GGPoker promised that “exciting partnerships” were forthcoming. However, the company did remove Bilzerian’s profile of the ambassador on March 8 and many took this as a hint that the man would no longer be representing the company.
Last year, GGPoker was criticized for his playboy lifestyle which often saw him surrounded by scores of pretty and scantily dressed women. He even took to social media to bash some of his critics in harsh and often rude terms. However, GGPoker has known to focus on the good Bilzerian does for the hobby’s popularity.
Bilzerian’s own personal life has been a focal point of controversy. Apart from his feuds with random Twitter users, Bilzerian has been known to publicly objectify women and allegedly host parties where he condoned this. He has also been accused of using his father’s money to accumulate his wealth – something that Bilzerian has vehemently denied.
Doug Polk had Bilzerian on his podcast several months ago where they discussed the issue at length. In the end, Polk admitted that Bilzerian may be telling the truth and he may have really won his fortune playing online games, although there is a very little record about how Bilzerian got started in poker. The rumor is that he ground his way up playing high stake games and making it to the very top where a lavish lifestyle was an option.
Bilzerian has also been fishing for a $100 million head-to-head poker showdown with billionaire Alec Gores, something that both men acknowledged could happen, although Bilzerian insists Gores has been reluctant.
Bilzerian notoriously argued with Canadian female poker pro-Vanessa Kade who has been a vociferous critic of how the man treats women. The fact that GGPoker took the opportunity to temporarily hide its association with Bilzerian on International Women’s Day but reinstate him prompted another bout of criticism from Kade.
However, her comments were blocked on GGPoker, which prompted even more anger in her and followers who have acknowledged what some called “duplicitous” behavior by one of the lodestars of the poker community.
GGPoker took note to be careful with the way it introduces Bilzerian after the last fiasco. Still, the company argued that it could not police what its ambassadors do in their personal life.